Connecting to the blockchain network

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of transmitting blockchain transactions to a blockchain network, wherein the method is performed by a first party and comprises: transmitting at least part of a blockchain transaction to an internet server via an internet service hosted by the internet server, wherein the internet server is configured to connect to one or more nodes of the blockchain network, and to transmit a blockchain transaction to the one or more blockchain nodes, wherein the transmitted blockchain transaction comprises the at least part of the blockchain transaction.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A computer-implemented method of transmitting blockchain transactions to a blockchain network, wherein the method is performed by an internet server configured to connect to one or more blockchain nodes and comprises:
 receiving, from a first party via an internet service hosted by the internet server, at least part of a blockchain transaction; and   transmitting a blockchain transaction to the one or more blockchain nodes, wherein the blockchain transaction comprises the at least part of the blockchain transaction.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the internet server is a web server, and wherein the internet service is a web service. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the at least part of the blockchain transaction is received from the first party using a hypertext transfer protocol, HTTP. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the internet server is a mail server, and wherein the internet service is a mail service. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the at least part of the blockchain transaction is received from the first party using a simple mail transfer protocol, SMTP. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , comprising generating the blockchain transaction using the at least part of the blockchain transaction. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , comprising:
 receiving a request message from a second party via the internet service; and   transmitting the request message to the first party via the internet service, wherein the request message comprises:
 a request to assign an unspent transaction output of a previous blockchain transaction to the second party, and/or 
 the at least part of the blockchain transaction, the at least part of the blockchain transaction being generated by the second party. 
   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16 , transmitting an update message to the first party via the internet service, wherein the update message comprises at least one of:
 the blockchain transaction, 
 an indication that the blockchain transaction has been published in a block of the blockchain, and/or
 a Merkle path for verifying that the blockchain transaction has been included in the block of the blockchain. 
 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the internet server is a web server, and wherein the internet service is a web service, and wherein the request message is transmitted using HTTP. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the internet server is a web server, and wherein the internet service is a web service, and wherein the update message is transmitted using HTTP. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the internet server is a mail server, and wherein the internet service is a mail service, and wherein the request message is transmitted using SMTP. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the internet server is a mail server, and wherein the internet service is a mail service, and wherein the update message is transmitted using SMTP. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claims 16 , comprising:
 maintaining a list of contacts associated with the first party, wherein the list of contacts comprises, for each contact, one or more blockchain addresses associated with that contact; and   transmitting the list of contacts to the first party.   
     
     
         29 . A computer-implemented method of discovering one or more blockchain nodes of a blockchain network, wherein an internet server maintains a list of identifiers, each identifier associated with a respective blockchain node, and wherein the method comprises:
 obtaining one or more identifiers from the internet server, each identifier being associated with a respective blockchain node; and   using the obtained one or more identifiers to connect to the associated one or more blockchain nodes.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the method is performed by a different blockchain node other than the one or more blockchain nodes. 
     
     
         31 . Computer equipment comprising:
 memory comprising one or more memory units; and   processing apparatus comprising one or more processing units, wherein the memory stores code arranged to run on the processing apparatus, the code being configured so as when run on the processing apparatus, the processing apparatus performs a method of transmitting blockchain transactions to a blockchain network, wherein the method is performed by an internet server configured to connect to one or more blockchain nodes and comprises:
 receiving, from a first party via an internet service hosted by the internet server, at least part of a blockchain transaction; and 
 transmitting a blockchain transaction to the one or more blockchain nodes, wherein the blockchain transaction comprises the at least part of the blockchain transaction . 
   
     
     
         32 . A computer program embodied on non-transitory computer-readable storage media and configured so as, when run on computer equipment, the computer equipment performs a method of transmitting blockchain transactions to a blockchain network, wherein the method is performed by an internet server configured to connect to one or more blockchain nodes and comprises:
 receiving, from a first party via an internet service hosted by the internet server, at least part of a blockchain transaction; and   transmitting a blockchain transaction to the one or more blockchain nodes, wherein the blockchain transaction comprises the at least part of the blockchain transaction .